New York Mets Online

This will be the last post at New York Mets Online. However, I am not giving up on writing about the Mets. Instead I have a new partner and we have a Web site which will blow this one away in terms of style, content and consistent posting.

What is this new Mets site and how will it be different?

Mets360.com will produce all original content. Our analysis may be based on a news item, but we are not in the news-breaking business. Why do exactly what a couple dozen sites and blogs are already doing?

Once a story breaks, we will provide a unique perspective that will originate from asking different questions, coming at the news from a different angle and setting the events in context. Instead of enduring through the suffocating norms that include a series of links to third-party sites or an excerpt from a previously published report, Mets360.com will develop and present stories in a thoughtful and uniquely engaging presentation.

So, we will not simply regurgitate news from other sources. We will not give you a doctoral dissertation when the team brings up a seventh reliever from Triple-A. Instead we will focus on the stories that impact the club in a big way. And while nearly every current Mets site looks like it was designed in 1984 on a 256 K Leading Edge, Mets360.com will have a professional, 21st Century appearance.

Who are the people behind the Web site?

Mets360.com is the brainchild of John Strubel and Brian Joura, two people who are first and foremost fans of the team. We know the pain of missing out on the playoffs on the last day of the season. We know the joy of a backup catcher hitting a game-winning home run to vault the team into the playoffs. We experienced the heartache of following The Worst Team Money Could Buy. We lived the thrill of October 25, 1986 and can tell you exactly where we when Mookie Wilson hit that ball.

We can go on with key moments, high and low, that we have experienced as Mets fans. The thrill of finding out that the team acquired Keith Hernandez, the disappointment that Tim Leary never made it big with the club, the laughter every time the cap fell off John Pacella’s head and the club’s numerous attempts to find a substance to keep it in place. We understand the pain when the club trades your favorite player, whether that player was Tom Seaver or Duffy Dyer.

But not only do we have memories forged over a lifetime of following the Mets, we bring substantial writing experience to the table. Strubel, an Albany, New York native, is a freelance journalist. He is a 23-year radio host in New York, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Strubel worked in the minor league systems of the Detroit Tigers (Glens Falls Tigers) and the Tampa Bay Rays (Charleston Riverdogs). His writing has been published in magazines and newspapers in the northeast. Joura, who grew up in Staten Island, NY, has covered the NCAA Tournament, the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Bobcats, the South Atlantic League All-Star game and is currently a writer for RotoGraphs, FantasyPros911.com and the official scorer of the Asheboro Copperheads.

Mets360 to feature guest writers

We are proud to announce that former Mets outfielder and 10-year veteran Brian McRae will be a contributing writer to our site. McRae has already weighed in with his first piece, which gives his take on Spring Training. More guest writers will appear throughout the year, adding yet another dimension for readers of Mets360.com to enjoy.

The Stengel Awards

Our goal is to have an interactive community and therefore we have created The Stengel Awards, which will honor the most valuable performances each month. Throughout the 2010 season fans and readers can vote in a variety of categories, including “The 41 Award,” “Uncle Bill,” “17-karat Gold Glove” and “The Benny (Ayala) Award” for outstanding achievements.

Fresh, concise, informative, engaging and entertaining – if these are things you look for and enjoy in a Web site, then Mets360.com is for you. With content updated daily it is the latest must-see site for all Mets fans.